Kualoa Ranch To Provide Beef To Supermarket Near You

Kualoa Ranch is coming to a supermarket near you, and it’s all about the beef, not its famed movie sites.

While the idea of selling its own grass-fed beef has been around for years, ranch owner John Morgan wants to make sure it’s organized and prepared appropriately, now that he’s got the go-ahead for steer and beef development and distribution.

“As far as the transition, it is about getting all our ducks in a row in terms of production to ensure a consistent supply,” he explained. “Most ranchers usually sell their steers at around 400-500 pounds or after one year of growth. We want to raise our steers for about a year longer on grass to get them up to the right age to process.”

The historic Windward ranch has been selling its beef as hamburgers at the visitors center already, but Morgan believes that Hawaii residents are exactly the right customer base to aim for.

“We think there are quite a few residents who would like to have locally produced beef. It follows the trend of supporting local agriculture and improving our food security.”

Plus, it balances the ranch’s agriculture and ranching side with its popular recreational amenities. “We’re committed to developing different types of agriculture, and one of our strengths is our ability to combine our agriculture uses of the land with outdoor recreation and tour use. People like to see productive agriculture, and the pastures provide a great backdrop for all our tours and the activities we provide.”

As grass-fed beef has a tendency to be tougher, Kualoa is planning to produce much of its meat as hamburger, but also will concentrate on a higher percentage of higher quality beef as loins and choice steak cuts. Price-wise, Morgan said they’ll track the market-value average among various supermarket beef products and will likely set their prices slightly above that average.

“There will be some premium, but the last thing we want to do is gouge our customers on price,” said Morgan.